Taking their chances on fishing boats, dinghies and canoes, every year thousands of men, women and children drown in a desperate bid to reach Europe from Africa. They cross from West Africa to the Spanish Canary Islands, from Morocco to southern Spain, from Libya to Malta and the Italian islands of Sicily and Lampedusa, and from Turkey to the islands of Greece. People entering Europe irregularly – without passports or visas – do so for a variety of reasons. In some cases they are fleeing persecution, human rights violations and armed conflict and can, therefore, be considered as refugees who need special protection. More often, they are migrants trying to escape poverty and unemployment.

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